BeTwixed: A Twinthology Crossover
by Elizabeth Athineu
Summary: Prince Nuada tells the story of how a magical mistake brought a pair of Asgardian Princes to Bethmoora. Once introduced, both sets of siblings head straight for their tradmarked brand of interstellar mischief!
1. Introduction

_(((I actually have this story all done except for about five paragraphs, but I'll be posting it at hourly intervals to keep my computer from bugging out; Scooter's a little sensitive this week! Enjoy, readers!)))_

**Introduction:**

Leopold analyzed the piece of the impossibly large jigsaw puzzle, trying to think about what it was before he tried to fit it to the rest of the skeletal picture he had formed with Aine'. Aine' sighed and laid her head down on her hands, her arms folded neatly on the table as she stared across at her cousin. Aidan sat not far away looking through a stack of comic books he had been given by his father to try and ease the aggravation of the team being called away on duty twice in one week. It had grown more difficult for the children to spend meaningful time with their parents over the past six months and it was beginning to weigh heavily on the trio. With the BPRD now assisting the efforts of an international peacekeeping effort, their responsibilities had practically doubled in the realm of investigating and thoroughly checking for any further threats after a situation had been handled. Aidan thought it terribly unfair that each and every time their family had planned to do something fun together he wound up with a sitter and no one to play with but his annoying twin sister and cousin.

Leopold was an alright cousin, but he didn't like very many of the same things Aidan did and as they grew it made Aidan less and less inclined to try and play with the sea-elf. As Aidan had grown more physical and discovered a deep love for comic books and games reflecting their defeat of villains with unbelievable superpowers, Leopold had grown as fond as his father of more classical literature and wanted to play games that took him 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea or into the wilderness to answer The Call of the Wild. Aine' was the only female in the group and did her best to make play with the other two, but found them uninterested in her desire to play _hospital_ or _house_ or, when her parents were sure to not notice and Leopold felt particularly spunky, _House's Hospital_. At one time or another, and more frequently than not these past few months, all three had longed for a brother or sister like them. At the moment, though, Aidan would've settled even for a cousin like him to play with. He folded the flimsy booklet shut and set it down on the stack of other comics with a bored sigh. He folded his legs, resting his elbows on his knees and his chin in his hands as he watched his cousin and twin sister tediously try and complete the complex image in the puzzle.

"This is the worst Thursday ever," Aidan groaned unhappily. Their current sitter, Princess Nuala, had made her way back upstairs to rest for a while. She had taken Keela, the newest addition to the bureau and Leopold's baby sister, upstairs to feed and sleep. The three remained down in the library, promising to play quietly together in order to escape the dismal alternative to the oppressive boredom now facing them . . . being apart. Aidan groaned more loudly as he watched Leopold continue to stare intently at the piece. Aine' sighed and shifted, becoming more and more unsatisfied with the puzzle the longer Leopold took to try and fit a piece in. The rules governing the use of the old puzzles from Professor Broom's old collection were clear and never to be broken; one piece per person per turn, and while this wouldn't have been much of an issue for most children, most children were not as decisive as Leopold. Aidan was becoming more irritated than his sister at this display and finally spoke up. "Oh put it somewhere or give up already!"

"You're not playing; you said it was silly and by default your opinion doesn't matter," Leopold replied unhappily. Aidan frowned at him. "Besides, I don't want to waste my turn."

"But he does have a point," Aine' complained. "Your turns are taking seven of mine at least."

"I'm not going to put this just anywhere," Leopold said defensively. "That ruins everything!"

"Then don't; try it out and then put it back," Aidan offered. Leopold turned and gave him a sharp look. "What? Normally watching this sort of thing is boring, but you're turning it into slow, painful torture."

"I'm trying to do this properly," Leopold shot back. "I'm not impulsive and mother says that's a good thing."

"We should've played hospital; a raging cholera epidemic would be much more fun than this," Aine' sighed. The other two looked at her in disgust. "What? Cholera's a serious disease and serious is best when you're playing hospital. If you get people coming in with ordinary viruses then you're ruining a perfectly good chance to study vector borne pathogens."

"You've gotta stop watching those emergency shows," Aidan said shaking his head. "I should've brought my car collection. We could've made a decent race track out of a few books and had some real fun for a while."

"That's an inappropriate use for good literature," Leopold corrected prompting Aidan to roll his eyes and fall back against the lounge. The two seemed to mirror their fathers' personalities perfectly and if there was one sure thing about the team mates of the BPRD, their free time was usually spent separately. "I wish Keela was old enough to talk and play, she'd appreciate the time it takes to put a puzzle together properly."

"No she wouldn't, she's a girl and girls never want to play anything good," Aidan stated firmly. Aine' sat up indignantly and glared at her brother. "They're always pretending something's wrong and you never get to do fun things to fix it."

"Hey! Not everything can be fixed with a flame-thrower or laser-eyes," Aine' quipped back.

"Shows what you know," Aidan muttered.

"Shows what you don't," Aine' shot back. Aidan sneered at her and Leopold shook his head with another sigh of boredom and pity. "I guess none of us will ever play the same thing and do it right."

"And yet you manage to remain friends, all three of you," the voice of Prince Nuada Silverlance announced as he approached the three. The eyes of each child lit up with individual joy and familiarity. Leopold leapt to his feet and ran to his uncle, embracing him tightly. Nuada folded his arms around his nephew and smiled. "Where is everyone else? I thought you two would be off with your mother and father to see where he was born in Scotland."

"We had to take a rain check without any rain," Aidan said as he quickly joined his cousin, though not as quickly as Aine' who looked up at the prince with continued adoration. Nuada turned and looked at the young demon's son with a measure of concern. The boy frowned. "We're always having to wait for them to finish something."

"It's the nature of having important parents, I'm afraid," Nuada replied, placing a hand comfortingly on the boy's shoulder. "It seemed like my mother and father were off on a diplomatic excursion every week when I was a lad. That was hardly the case, of course, but when it in the process of unfolding disappointments can last a veritable lifetime." The three nodded in agreement, the first unified action they'd taken in hours. "It's especially difficult when the people you're left to watch after or play with don't share your passions and philosophies."

"Tell me about it," Aidan muttered. Aine' and Leopold turned to him with a harsh stare. "What?"

"Uncle, you and mother shared interests, didn't you? You played together every chance you got, she's said so over and over again," Leopold said.

Nuada smiled kindly to his nephew and took a seat on the floor near the lounge where Aidan had been seated. Leopold and Aidan quickly took a seat as well in front of the king of the magical realms, folding themselves into a comfortable lotus pose as Aine crawled onto the lounge lying face down and lifting her herself up on her elbows to listen carefully as well, though with a better look at her prince's golden amber eyes. "There's very little play between two of the same people for very long," he replied. "As a general rule, there needs to be conflict on a very small scale to accomplish anything and when at play, someone needs to be the brains and someone needs to be the muscle."

"Which were you?" Aine' asked with a fond smile. The prince turned and smirked at her.

"We shared roles back and forth, but that's not important," he explained. Aidan and Leopold snickered at the near admittance that Nuada was neither and Nuala was likely both in their childhood. "There was a time when both of us found a kindred spirit. There had been a curious mishap in another realm and it catapulted two other siblings right into the middle of Bethmoora and right in front of us. They were just as different one from the other as Nuala and I were, but they were brothers and hardly twins."

"I wish I had a brother," Aidan muttered under his breath. Aine' turned and stuck her tongue out at her twin. He did the same. Nuada cleared his throat signaling a need to end the display. The two turned back to him as Leopold scooted closer, waiting anxiously for the story to begin.

"I thought the very same thing until I was forced to have one . . . of sorts," he said. All three gazed at him in bewilderment. How does one find themself forced to have a brother of sorts? He grinned. "It is fitting that I should tell you this story on Thursday, seeing as the very person for whom the day is named was that brother . . . of sorts."

"I thought Thursday was named for the Norse God of Thunder, Thor," Leopold interjected. Nuada grinned more brightly at his nephew as the boy's eyes widened in realization. "You mean you actually met someone from the nine realms of Yggdrasil?"

"Not just anyone; as you so rightly said, it was Thor, the son of Odin and he was not alone. My sister and I had our differences and she had a way of plotting that usually found the both of us in a great deal of trouble, but that paled in comparison to the schemes of Thor's brother and he just happened to along for the journey," Nuada added.

"That would be Loki, the God of Mischief," Aine' added, waiting for the approval of Nuada turned in her direction. The prince nodded to her as Aidan scoffed.

"The four of you wound up together in your palace; how could that have been exciting even with a trickster present?" Aidan asked with renewed boredom beginning to fill him.

"I never said we wound up together in the palace," Nuada corrected. All three gazed at the prince in astonishment and further anticipation of the story to come. "In fact, Thor and I wound up further from home than we had ever been before while Nuala and Loki found themselves in more trouble than they could remember causing alone."


	2. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1:**

"This is unfair! We never get to go anywhere with you!" Nuala cried, clinging to her father's robes as he stood waiting for the rest of his entourage to arrive, ready to depart. Balor leaned down and placed his hands tenderly on his daughter's shoulders as tears began to stream down her cheeks. "Can't you take us with you? Just this once?"

"No, Nuala, it's not a pleasant journey your mother and I are making," the king said tenderly, stroking the side of his daughter's face comfortingly. "The fey sage that taught their chief scholars has died and all of the dignitaries owe him gratitude for his wisdom. Your mother and I must pay our respects in solemn humility to him and that is no place for the two of you."

"But why, father?" Nuala continued to whine as the rest of the servants finished their tasks. Balor sighed and grasped her shoulder more tightly.

"Because mourning is not a fitting sight for either of you," the king replied. For any other child, royalty or otherwise, mourning would have been a normal, natural thing to view at one time or another. But for two elflings with a deep, magic link where one harbored a cursed shard of grief tearing at his heart, the idea of exposure to such overwhelming negativity was not something their parents wanted for them. "Now, your mother and I will be back in three day's time. Not long at all."

"It's long enough," Nuala complained, leaning into her father more fully. "There's nothing to do when you go away."

"Nonsense; why when I was a lad I found more to do when my father and mother were away in the kingdom than during the great feasts! It was very much like an adventure that my playmates and I looked forward to each and every time," he replied jovially. Nuala groaned.

"I don't have a playmate," she sulked.

"Well of course you do, you were born with one," Balor laughed, patting his daughter's head as he gave a few orders to a servant and then told another to send for Aine' so that they could depart at once. "That's what brothers are for."

"Not _**my**_ brother," Aine' grumbled as she released her hold on her father's robes and folded her arms glumly. "Nuada's about as fun to play with as a wet blanket."

"That's an exaggeration, Nuala, and you know it," the king replied. He gestured toward the entrance to another servant who nodded and hurried outside. "And not a fair one, or a kind one at that."

"Please, father, just take me with you, just this once," Nuala begged. Balor sighed and knelt, placing a hand on the side of her face gently. "I promise I'll be perfectly mannered. You won't even notice me. I'll cry at all the right times; please take me with you!"

"Princess, this is a very short journey and your mother and I must make it without you," he said firmly, but kindly. Nuala frowned and looked at the ground. The king smiled and lifted her chin to face him. "You'll do just fine. I give you permission to . . ." he paused and thought for a moment about the best way to salve the unpleasant situation. He grinned brightly as a perfect solution suddenly popped into his head. "I have it! You'll have no lessons while your mother and I are away. You mustn't stray from the palace, but you may go wherever you wish and play whatever you like whenever you like." Nuala stared at her father in confusion. He certainly wouldn't have offered such a thing to her brother and there would be no such offer made had their mother been within earshot. The king beamed at his daughter and took her by both hands. "Is that satisfactory?"

"But mother has said over and over again that . . ." Nuala countered.

The king quickly put a finger to his lips and winked at the girl. She grinned in return and nodded. As long as Aine' remained in the dark about it until departing it would be set in motion and the princess would finally have a few days away from the boring 'domestic refinery lessons' and lectures about long spans of boring history. She sighed and looked at her father gratefully as he stood. He moved toward the Chamberlain, the slug fairy left in charge of running the kingdom in absence of the two monarchs, and explained the plan to him. The Chamberlain nodded, but was audibly displeased with such an arrangement. A few seconds later, Aine' appeared in the room, ready to depart. She knelt and looked deeply into Nuala's eyes reminding her of how important it was for her to be on her best behavior and display the very grace of Bethmoora's proud women with her parents gone. Nuala nodded and gave a 'yes, mother' when appropriate. Aine' smiled and kissed the top of her daughter's head before standing and looking around in exasperation for her son. Balor had been a little too distracted than to be worried that his heir was nowhere to be seen.

"Oh, I do hope he hasn't gotten himself lost in the garden maze with that awful troll again," Aine' groaned. "Nuada? Prince Nuada Silverlance come and say goodbye to your father and I right this minute."

There was a small shuffling sound from behind one of the statues nearest the doorway. The king, queen, princess, and Chamberlain turned and watched as Nuada emerged from behind the statue and folded his hands behind him sadly. Aine' sighed heavily and hurried over to her son, kneeling and taking his shoulders in her hands, reminding him of very much the same things that she had said to Nuala adding that he was the older brother, the heir to the throne, and the only son she and Balor would ever have. Nuada looked away pitifully as Aine' embraced him and gently kissed his cheek. She stood slowly and looked back and forth between her two children as Balor moved to stand beside her. "There now, I'm sure both of you will do what the Chamberlain asks and go to sleep when the sun goes down," the queen said. The twins nodded solemnly in agreement. Balor patted his son's shoulder affectionately and reminded him of how proud he was to leave the kingdom in the care of such a handsome and capable heir. Nuada groaned inwardly, knowing that the kingdom wasn't really in his hands and that was probably for the best. Aine' and Balor slowly made their way outside after a last goodbye and set off northward to the burial mounds of the Kings of the Fey.

Nuala and Nuada stood watching as their parents and the entourage following them disappear into the horizon. Nuada heaved a sigh and turned back to his sister. "We'd better get started now. It's nearly time for arithmetic and neither of us is very good at it," he grumbled and moved past her toward their schoolrooms beside the library. Nuala quickly grabbed his arm and smiled brightly. He looked back at her confusedly. "What is it? You're not starting to like arithmetic, are you?"

"No, silly. We're not going to our lessons today," she explained happily. Nuada's expression turned to shock as his sister. "Father says we won't have any lessons, not a one, while they're away!" She giggled happily and hurried past him towards the courtyard.

Nuada turned towards the Chamberlain silently who shook his head and slowly walked back to his duties at the center of the palace. The prince smiled as the realization that she was telling the truth sank in. He raced out into the courtyard after her. He ran carefree past the columns at the entrance and the carved figures of forest spirits and guardians and into the vast array of shrubs, flowers, and open grasses. He spotted Nuala from a short distance away. He grinned, realizing that she was completely turned away and wouldn't notice him approach. He darted behind a bush, making sure that his sister remained where she stood. It hadn't struck him yet that his sister was staring intently at something in the distance. Instead, he carefully crept up behind her and waited a moment. When he was sure she still hadn't noticed him, he leapt out and grabbed both her shoulders, shouting loudly and then laughing. He became silent after a few seconds, now realizing that her gaze was affixed on something on the outer rim of the courtyard and she wasn't moving at all. He frowned. "What is it, Nuala?" he asked.

"Something broke a tree . . . no . . . someone," she muttered, pointing with a blank stare on her face. Nuada turned and looked, gasping at the sight of a splintered, young birch. He gasped as he noticed that there appeared to have been some sort of damage done to the flowers and grasses around it as well as one other strange disturbance which Nuala spoke aloud. "They're not moving."

Nuada said nothing and hurried past his sister towards the remnants of the tree. He stopped just shy of a mound of birch leavings. The stump was jutting out of the ground in an odd, spiked fashion while the rest of the tree lay pulverized, some of it underneath the two people that had obviously collided with it. Nuada felt his sister join him and take hold of his arm as he stared at the pair on the ground in amazement. "Why, they can't be any older than we are," the prince realized aloud. He knelt next to one of them, a blonde haired young boy with a red tunic. He touched the boy's shoulder gently and could feel even outside the boy's tunic that he was still breathing. "This one's still alive."

Nuala knelt carefully beside the other child, a dark-haired young boy with a green tunic. She reached down and turned him over, marveling at how pale he was. She leaned closer. "They look human," she said reaching down and feeling the boy's neck for a pulse as well. Without warning, the boy's bright green eyes popped open and a look of terror suddenly emblazoned on his face. He screamed, prompting Nuala to scream as well. He scooted backwards furiously as Nuala hurried over to her brother and grabbed hold of his shoulders, trying to hide herself behind him. Nuada looked toward the screaming boy just as his companion stirred. Nuada heard a loud growl and the boy quickly threw Nuada's hand away from him and raced toward the other, moving as if he hadn't been stunned at all by falling into a tree. Nuada stood slowly with Nuala hiding behind him just as the other two did. _They're brothers for sure_, Nuada thought inwardly. _They must be, but they don't look it_.

Nuada stood protectively in front of his sister and looked cautiously at the new young boy. He reached down and quickly took hold of a long stick from the birch remnants, acting as a makeshift staff. Nuada couldn't explain why, but the boy didn't seem human and he seemed only about two years older than he and his sister. These two were more than strangers in their land; part of Nuada told him that they were strangers to their world. Neither looked like a son of the Danu, but they truly didn't seem to belong somehow. Nuala peeked out from behind her brother after a beat and offered the younger a kind smile. He returned the gesture but shrank back very quickly behind the older as Nuada took a step forward, holding his wooden staff aloft defensively.

"I am Prince Nuada Silverlance, son of King Balor and heir to throne of Elfland and all of Bethmoora," the prince said proudly. "This is Princess Nuala, my twin sister," he added gesturing to the she-elf lingering behind him. The two boys looked at one another in shock for a moment and then turned back to the prince. The blonde frowned at him, putting an arm in front of his companion just as protectively as Nuada was doing for Nuala. "You're not from the human city to the north or the western moor; who are you and what are you doing in the Nightlands?"

"I am Thor Odinson, prince of Asgard," the blonde replied in a similar measure of dignity. He gestured to the boy behind him. "This is my brother, Loki."

"You're Asgardians? How did you get all the way here?" Nuala asked quickly, her curiosity now fully piqued as she stepped out from behind her brother.

"And when are you going back?" Nuada added with disdain. His father had told them both stories of the realms on the other side of the Otherworld and its sister realms. They all stemmed along a celestial root system much like a tree. Their father had called it Yggdrasil and told the two that the creatures from those realms were fierce and savage. Nuada continued to hold his staff noting that both princes had a dagger at their side, likely ready to do some sort of harm to whoever crossed them. Nuada wasn't about to allow any mischief of that sort while he was near. Thor scowled back, sensing the elf prince's motive and emotion. "Asgardians aren't welcome here."

"I'm afraid it's my fault we're here, your majesty," Loki confessed. He took two steps forward and bowed his head toward Nuada, placing a hand on his chest. "I didn't mean to, it was an accident."

"Then go back before my father finds you out," Nuada warned. Nuala smacked his arm reproachfully. He turned and glared at her for a moment before turning his steely gaze back to the pair of brothers. Part of him envied these two; as much as he loved his sister, it would've been so much easier to have had a twin brother instead. Clearly, though, these weren't twins. In fact, they hardly looked like brothers. "I will be merciful and allow you to leave intact . . . this time."

"Please, your majesty, we don't know how to get home. I-I-I barely remember how we arrived," Loki interjected fretfully. Nuala gave a small cry of pity for the two, but Nuada could see that her eyes were clearly affixed on the younger brother's green gaze. She folded her hands coyly in front of her and smiled sheepishly at him. The boy suppressed a smile in return given the seriousness of their host's threat, but was unable to hide a faint shade of pink from forming on his pale cheeks. Nuada growled a little. Thor took a step towards the elf prince, scowling at him and warning him that he was just as willing to defend his brother as the prince was willing to defend his realm. Loki bowed his head once more and placed his hand at his chest again. "I'm only just learning to use magic, you see, and I wasn't being prudent handling a journeystone . . ."

"You do magic?" Nuala exclaimed happily. The prince turned back to his sister, frowning at her. She was obviously infatuated with this interloper and it was sickening. "I'm a sorceress, myself."

"No, you're not, you can't even recite a spell without asking me to help you," Nuada hissed in reply. She glared at him and then turned back to the youth, gazing into his eyes with adoration.

"Well, then perhaps you might help us get home," Thor said with renewed cordiality in his voice. Nuada growled inwardly at the attention of both these outsiders being turned toward his sister. She was off-limits to everyone except their father and mother and Nuada made sure it remained enforced. The Asgardian prince ignored the elf's anger. "Elves are better at these things, anyway," he added giving his brother a look of sharp disapproval.

Loki frowned. "It wasn't all my fault. I told you not to touch anything while I finished erasing the marks," the younger replied defensively.

"You shouldn't have made them in the first place," Thor retorted.

"That must have been a difficult and advanced spell. You must have such talent, " Nuala said with admiration, turning from side to side ever so slightly while keeping her hands folded neatly in front of her. "You'll be awfully powerful someday soon. That's something to be proud of."

"As long as it keeps them where they belong," Nuada added crossly. He gestured with the staff as he spoke. "My sister cannot help you. Clearly you made a human error, you'll need the help of their mages and sorcerers. Go."

"But we don't know where to find any of them, your majesty, and humans can't do real magic," Loki argued.

"And we're guests in your land, not criminals. Where are your manners if you're royalty?" Thor added with a tone of indignance.

Nuada scoffed at this. "My father told us long ago that your world should never have dealings with our world. It was a mistake centuries ago and it will not be repeated," he said proudly.

"My father told us that he defended your realm when Jotunheim attacked those centuries ago," Thor shot back. Nuala and Loki continued to remain affixed on one another, blissfully unaware of the banter and hostility being exchanged elsewhere. "The least _**your**_ father could do is be grateful."

"How dare you speak so boldly and judge my father's conduct," Nuada replied angrily. He pointed the staff more firmly at Thor. "Only a fool would pick a fight with a race of giants."

"My father did not begin the war," Thor corrected. "But he finished it."

"Well, sort of," Loki added, fidgeting as anxiously as Nuala. "He did leave their king alive."

"That was stupid," Nuada laughed.

"Nuada!" Nuala chastised in a harsh whisper, taking hold of his arm. The prince yanked his arm firmly away, still facing the now furious prince of Asgard.

"My father is not stupid," Thor growled, balling both hands into fists. "And only a real fool would lose their whole arm in a battle," Thor spat back, remembering what his father had told them of the elves that lived on earth. They were far different from those that lived on Alfsheim; more ferocious, more powerful, and more apt to gather forces among less favorable races. "Now, apologize at once for your insolence!"

"No," Nuada shot back. "It's always stupid to leave an enemy alive no matter how many arms you have." Nuala groaned disappointedly, whispering that their mother would be very cross to hear him speak so unkindly. Nuada again shook free of his sister and this time pointed towards the younger Asgardian, barely peeking out from behind his brother as the prince's voice elevated. "Almost as stupid as letting a pathetic little weakling play with magic symbols of any kind."

Loki looked at Nuada, terribly hurt by such an unexpected and unwarranted insult. Thor glanced back and noticed the pained expression on his brother's face before slowly facing Nuada again. Nuala shrank backwards, taking a few defensive steps back away from her brother. Thor growled and moved a pace towards the prince, leaving his brother somewhat vulnerable as he raised his fists, glaring at the elf. "My brother is not a weakling," Thor corrected in a low tone. Nuada continued to stand perfectly still, staff at the ready and eyes fixed like steel on the intruder. "You have insulted my father and my brother, now apologize or I shall thrash the insolence out of you!"

"I am not apologizing to a clumsy oaf like you or his languid, lunatic family! As prince of this realm I order you and your brother to turn around and go home this instant, or I'll . . ." Nuada began angrily. He was cut short when Thor raced forward, reared back, and then thrust his fist forward swiftly, cracking the makeshift staff in two pieces dangling from either of the elf's hands. Nuala gasped. Nuada stared in bewilderment at the two pieces and then back at Thor who continued to glare at him. The elf prince threw down the pieces of birch staff, shouting furiously, and harshly shoved Thor, knocking him backwards a few inches. Thor snarled and shoved back, sending Nuada reeling for a moment. The elf managed to push his weight forward and land on his knees instead of falling backwards. He hurriedly reached forward, snatching the Asgardian by the sleeve of one legging and yanked it towards him, pulling Thor to the ground with an exclamation of surprise. Nuada made a fist and struck at the boy's shoulder. Thor acted quickly, catching his foe's hand and straining as he held it away. As the two fought, Nuala hurried over to another nearby tree and watched in fright as the two struggled. She knew her brother's weaknesses and strengths, but Thor seemed to exceed him in strength for the moment. Loki noticed the princess standing beside the tree and trying to decide how she could help. He hurried over to join her, unsure if she wanted to genuinely be a friend, but very sure that she was a better bet to converse with to try and get home than the prince. She seemed wise and kind, something he hadn't expected from any creature on Midgard. Nuala sighed heavily as Loki shook his head sadly.

She turned to him. "Is he always like this?" she asked.

The young Asgardian nodded slowly. "Mother says he's going to wind up looking just like father before he's twelve," Loki replied folding both arms disapprovingly. Nuala turned to him confusedly. "Father lost one eye in battle with Laufey, King of the Frost Giants," he explained. Nuala nodded signaling her grasp of the phrase. Loki admired the she-elf's features from this close range. She was lovelier than the maidens on Asgard, all of them, except perhaps his mother. Her golden tresses ending in a rainbow of fiery hues and her cat-like eyes glowing a warm ochre. Her pale skin was also mesmerizing contrasted against her dark robes and the pencil-thin mark over her nose and cheeks added an exquisite individuality. He cleared his throat and took a half step closer to her, cautiously getting as close as he could possibly stand without making her uncomfortable or distracting the angry prince from the quarrel with his brother. "It's a shame, really. I'm usually the one he's quarreling with and I'm not quite as . . . well, forceful as your brother seems to be. Thor simply won't keep at his studies with me."

"Nuada hasn't paid attention in our studies ever since he earned his title, possibly before," Nuala commented. She glanced at the dark youth with mirrored admiration. He was a beautiful creature with incredible green eyes and a smile that concealed a wealth of intellect and so much else besides. She scooted a fraction closer to him as well, equally taken by his presence and obvious intellect. She sighed. "If I had my rathers, I'd a brother that could would do magic," she said fidgeting with her sleeves coyly. His features lit up and he turned to face her more fully. "It's an absolute nightmare being bound body and soul to someone who won't leave well enough alone, I end up just as thrashed as he does. If only I'd been blessed with a twin more like you."

"My sentiments precisely," he replied with a bright grin. The two stared silently at one another, still ignoring the raging siblings taking out their frustrations on the other. Thor reared back and managed to strike Nuada fully in the face which the two could not ignore at all when Nuala's nose began to bleed profusely. She let out a shriek and instinctively grasped her nose, pinching her nostrils shut and beginning to sob as pain set in. Nuada shoved the warrior over and taking his place on top of him, fist raised despite the blood coursing from his own nose. Loki scowled at the two and reached down, taking a rock in one hand. He hurled it at his brother, waving his hand fluidly in mid throw and causing the rock to become five rocks, all of them colliding with the back of his brother's head. Thor shouted and grasped the back of his head gingerly as the stones hit him. He and Nuada turned and glared at their younger siblings. "Stop it, both of you! Can't you see that you're not just hurting each other?"

Thor frowned at the sight of the she-elf with all the wounds her brother now sported. He wiped away the small amount of blood from his own lip and slowly crawled a pace away from the elf prince, standing and brushing himself off. Nuada groaned and climbed hurriedly to his feet, heading toward his vicariously victimized sister. Before he could reach her she turned and fled towards the outer gardens. Nuada's expression fell and he felt the ache of shame, shame at having lost control and essentially lost a battle. He turned and glared at the young Asgardians. "This is why father won't let your kind in our borders," he said furiously, gesturing towards Nuala as she disappeared. "You're barbarians!"

"You were the one that attacked me!" Thor shouted defensively. He turned to his younger brother for acknowledgement. "You saw it, Loki, didn't you? He struck first. He's the brute, not me."

"You're both uncivilized brutes," the younger quipped back, glancing from one angry prince to the other. He turned and began hurriedly following Nuala's steps. "You should be ashamed of yourselves, both of you!"

Thor and Nuada stood perfectly silent for a few moments, still feeling an innate hostility towards one another but it took second place to the respective hurt they felt at the words, or shriek, from their younger sibling. Nuada frowned and turned to the intruder with a look of remorse. "He's right, you know, at least about part of this," the elf confessed solemnly. Thor still glared at him, confused as to whether he should try and follow after Loki, but he was fairly sure that if he did so that not only would Nuada come at him from behind with his staff again, but also that it would be unnecessary given the strange impromptu friendship that seemed to have blossomed between the younger prince and princess in a few moments' time. Loki was in no danger in the company of Nuala. Nuada was a different story and the Asgardian prince turned back to his new enemy with a resigned frown. "I shouldn't have kept hitting you after the first time." Thor lifted one brow in stunned confusion at this pseudo apology from the elf. Nuada moved past him and slowly headed towards the place he knew Nuala would surely go; the fountain at the centre of the outer gardens. Thor followed after him slowly, cautiously. "I should've only struck you once."

(*)

"You started a fight with someone you hadn't even met before?" Aidan exclaimed in disgust. "Even _**I**_ know better than that."

"That's because you've chosen to keep a firm and steady handle on your emotions," Nuada said with a measure of admiration. Aidan smiled, grateful for the compliment, but a little unsettled by what the prince had admitted to. It was not, by far, the worst thing he had done and readily admitted to, but it was the thought of picking a fight with essentially an alien creature that disturbed him. "Not to mention your parents have taught you to hate no one. Remember that there were ancient conflicts even while I was a lad and Odin had crossed paths unpleasantly with my father. Neither was very mature in the way they spoke to one another and educated their children, but I was doing more of the chiding than he."

"Why didn't you just take them to the witch right away?" Aine' asked, remembering how Fata Morgana had helped save the day in her own right during the incident with the Salmon of Wisdom.

Nuada sighed. "Father also had a distinct disdain for her and with good reason," he explained. "She might have been willing to preserve the lives of two helpless elflings, but she was also full of scheming and rather bizarre motives." Nuada chuckled a little realizing something. "Now that I think about it, she was quite a trickster herself."

"What happened next? Did something else suddenly take all of you away from your realm, is the spell that brought them to you what took you away?" Leopold asked, truly intrigued by this tale. His uncle was a brave, cunning, and impressive warrior with a history that made only the most fascinating stories. This one, however, that held in it an untold tale of the spirits of thunder and mischief as well, was shaping up to be the most exciting yet.

"Well, your mother was not just wounded physically, she was embarrassed to have started bleeding and then crying in front of her new friends, such as they were," Nuada continued. "But in those days Loki was a wealth of compassion as well as trouble and he wasn't about to let his new friend suffer like that."

"It almost sounds like they were falling love," Aine' observed with a grin.

"They weren't thinking about that sort of thing. Romance was a good few centuries away from any of our understanding," Nuada corrected. He winked at his niece and turned back to his two nephews. "No, they shared something more powerful, more important . . . a deep love of magic."


	3. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2:**

At the edge of the fountain, Nuala sat and sobbed heavily, pinching her nose as tightly as she could and trying to keep blood from touching her sleeves or the skirts of her robes. Loki found his way to her more quickly than she would've expected him to, another credit to his talent with magic. He hurried over to where she sat and withdrew one of the soft, grey handkerchiefs his mother had given him for his own injuries. He reached down into the fountain, dampening a corner and then cleaning off her wrist and chin carefully. She sobbed a little less as he finished clearing the excess blood away and then tenderly wiped her tears away. She watched him intently. He sat down beside her and offered her the rest of the dry cloth. She accepted it in her other hand and pinched her still bleeding nostrils together with it using the other hand. He smiled kindly at her and then looked down sheepishly, fidgeting with the edge of his own tunic mindlessly.

"Thank you," she sniffed.

"You're most welcome, princess," he said. He liked the title princess and had wondered what it would've been like having a sister to play with and study with rather than an angry, brawling brother. Had he known about Nuala's physical prowess in times past he might have felt differently, but for now the delicate nature of her presence made him yearn for a less imposing companion at home. "I'm sorry about all of this, really I am. I wish I knew how to get us back sooner."

Nuala sighed. "I know a sorceress that can help. She's been to the Otherworld and many other realms as well," she explained, pulling the cloth away. The bleeding had seemed to stop for the moment. She grasped the cloth and looked down at her hands with an even heavier sigh than before. "Besides, you didn't do anything wrong. You didn't start the fight and you certainly didn't make them keep going."

"I truly wish my brother wouldn't get so angry at everything, and I mean everything," Loki added, putting a hand comfortingly on the princess's shoulder. She relaxed at his gesture and smiled at being even closer to this lovely creature. "I admit I'm not nearly as strong as he is and I just can't keep up with the games he plays most of the time."

"Ever since my brother learned to wield a sword and staff he's been terribly temperamental," Nuala added, careful not to mention the fighting between them throughout the years. The two sat in silence for a few moments more simply enjoying the peace of the gardens, the lovely sound of the flowing fountain behind them, and the nearness of a kindred spirit. She sighed heavily and held the cloth out to him. He accepted it and placed it back in a pocket keeping one hand on her shoulder. "I wish you could take my brother's place," she said with a shrug. "That would be a lovely change from the constant nonsense."

Loki's features lit up again and he turned to her with a grin, a trademark scheme building in his mischievous reputation. He reached down and grasped her hand boldly. Nuala felt a jolt of energy move through her at this and she turned to him in shock. "We could do that, you know," he whispered. Her eyes widened and she leaned closer to him. "If your sorceress can help, then I know we can arrange for your brother to go back in my place and I could stay here."

"But, my brother is heir to the throne; I can't just send him away. Father and mother would be devastated and the kingdom would be without a future king!" she protested sensibly. In truth she thought it was a marvelous idea, but she also know that in the long run it was best for the kingdom that she continue to suffer and it was likely the same in Loki's instance. "It's wonderful idea, but it couldn't last for long."

"Then we won't let it last for very long, we could make it a week, or a fortnight, or a year, or even just a day," he offered more excitedly, the green in his eyes becoming more crystalline with joy at this notion. She stared back at him, waiting for him to explain further. "Once it's over we can all go back to where we belong, but can you imagine? A whole day without the smashing and bruising . . . you wouldn't need to worry about another fight and we could share magic and play properly . . . for a whole day!"

"That does sound lovely," Nuala said with a distant look of contentment. Loki waited patiently, staring at her with fevered anticipation. A smile slowly made its way across her lips. She sat forward and took both of his hands in her own causing his heart to practically leap out of his chest with elation. "Alright! Let's do it, let's switch brothers!"

"Well, you'll switch brothers," Loki corrected. She frowned a little, thinking that perhaps he had changed his mind somehow. He grinned more brightly and squeezed her hands. "_**I**_ get a sister."

(*)

"Wait, they just decided to send you to their world?" Aidan asked in amazement. "That's not fair."

"Nuala bleeding and bruising every time I caught the short end of a fight wasn't fair, either," Nuada corrected. Aine' nodded emphatically, shoving her brother's arm for good measure. Aidan scowled at her and scooted another inch away. "It wasn't supposed to be permanent, mind you. They thought they could just send me there with Thor and have us back to our normal worlds in a day's time."

"That doesn't seem so hard," Leopold interjected. "With the proper use of the Bifrost Bridge you could've gone to Asgard for an hour or even ten minutes and then gone right back."

"Ah, but they weren't planning on using the Bifrost at all," Nuada explained. Leopold gasped. "There are other, more difficult, ways to travel between realms. The two thought they could have Fata Morgana send us back to Asgard and then ferry us back in a matter of hours."

"Why didn't that work if she knew what she was doing?" Aine' asked confusedly.

"Forget that, mother spent a whole day with the God of Mischief?" Leopold asked in amazement.

Nuada grinned. "Oh she spent more than a day with Loki," he replied with a wink. "But not on purpose."


	4. Chapter 3

_(((Okay, this is taking a little longer than I thought, but four whole chapters in six hours is pretty good. I need a nap really quick, but then I'll be right back to finishing this and posting!)))_

**Chapter 3:**

Nuala moved quickly, taking Loki by the hand and leading him out of the courtyard and into one of the small stone buildings that lay on the farthest eastern edge of the courtyard. They were used for feasts and other gatherings including private trysts between lovers in the court, but they had another purpose. Nuala smiled brightly as she reached down for the handle and, to the amazement of the young trickster, turned the ornate, solid handle three times. She stepped back and cleared her throat. "The door is shut, the lights are out, I've turned the handle thrice about. The passage opens, past the door, with light of moons and stars galore!" With that, Nuala took hold of the handle again and the outline of the door suddenly glowed with brilliant, white streams of light. Loki gasped and marveled at the display. Nuala pulled on the handle, opening the door and allowing light to pour out from the open passageway. Loki shielded his eyes for a moment, but then felt the room around him grow darker. He lowered his arms and stared in awe at the open door which now seemed to lead into a dimly lit hovel. Loki had seen pictures of peasant dwellings in many books and scrolls, but this appeared to be a somewhat more decorated dwelling, though definitely not a sturdy, marble dwelling for royalty. Nuala gestured for them to enter and he followed.

"That's the only way to get to Fata Morgana's home. I haven't even told my brother how to use the spell, but I don't think there's any harm in showing you since you won't be here very long," Nuala explained. Her tone was much softer now which Loki took to mean that the witch was somewhere nearby. She glanced around the room carefully and took a few cautious steps onto the center of the hardwood floor. The young trickster carefully moved to stand close beside her, allowing the door to close and causing both to jump at the sound. Nuala breathed deeply and turned back to the rest of the room, leading the way past several shelves of books and odd jars into what seemed like another room entirely, though they hadn't gone down any hallway. He felt a warm glow coming from somewhere ahead of him and, within a few short moments, he suddenly found himself standing in front of a beautiful and enormous fireplace. There was a somewhat small, crackling fire still burning even though there seemed to be no one in the house but the two. "I think most of this house was built in Germania, but she's taken a lot from the Highlands as well. It's rather cozy, don't you think?"

"Is she even here?" Loki asked, glancing around in confusion.

"She's rarely ever not here," Nuala replied with a shrug. She casually took a seat in front of the fireplace and sighed contentedly. "I come here when I can. It's a good way to be free of the rest of my obligations," she said with a smile. The smile faded. "And sometimes my brother."

"I don't have anywhere to get away from my brother," Loki replied sadly, not willing to acknowledge his mother's embrace as a legitimate place to escape his brother's frequent violent playing. He sat down slowly beside her and shifted uncomfortably, glancing around at the very odd décor including a bundle of dead fish bones dangling from strings, the head of a massive bear with its jaws closed around the neck of a massive elk both mounted on dark oak boards. There were even a few moss-covered tree branches with owls and birds mounted on it. Loki stared in particular at one of the large, brown owls. Its ears seemed to be a set of dark horns and its eyes were closed, but it didn't appear to be breathing. It must've been a stuffed, dead creature like all the rest, but it made very little sense for it to appear asleep. Suddenly the owl's eyes came open and it let out a loud screech. Loki jumped a little and Nuala turned to it, smiling. "I-I-I thought that was a dead one!"

"It is," a new voice said smoothly. The two turned quickly to see Fata Morgana, her long swirling red hair flowing radiantly down her back and her piercing green eyes sparkling with the low gleam of the flames. She strode past the two, gliding like a swan on water in her dark brown robes and silvery strands of jewelry. She stood in front of the largest branch where the owl perched eerily. Grinning, she reached up and withdrew the owl from the branch, holding it in front of her and sighing in disappointment. "Oh dear, it's five seconds off again," she said sadly. The two watched in amazement as she reached down to the creature's neck, grasping her hand over its head entirely and gently turning it completely around five times. She gently set the owl back on the branch with a sigh of relief, turning gracefully back to the pair with a kind smile. "That's better. Now," she began, reaching out and taking Nuala's hand softly and effortlessly guiding her back into the room where they had first arrived. Loki followed hurriedly. "To what do I owe the pleasure of your company, princess?" she asked. "Need another dancing bauble to create some excitement during your lessons?"

"No, Fata Morgana, but thank you for your offer," Nuala said with a nod. The witch smiled kindly, releasing the she-elf's hand. Nuala gestured towards Loki who looked back and forth between the two in genuine concern. He was now in the home of a complete stranger, a witch at that, and accompanied only by an elf, hardly a suitable protector. With a lack of experience in sorcery, Loki feared that he had put himself in real danger this time. Fata Morgana turned and caught his gaze in her eyes, smiling more warmly than before as if reassuring him. "Actually this time I've come with a friend and we both have something to ask of you."

"I see," she said softly, moving slowly in the youth's direction and then, in one fluid unseen movement, took hold of his hand. He felt the urge to withdraw and move away for less than a moment, but the gaze she continued to give him made him feel more at ease after a brief few seconds. "And what is it that the two of you desire so greatly that you would need my help, Loki?"

The trickster's eyes widened in shock. "H-how do you know my name?" he asked in amazement. A similar shock moved across Nuala's features, but lesser in that she practically expected anything in the witch's presence. The woman smiled more brightly, exhibiting brilliant white teeth which he could've sworn came to points in several places. "Have we met before?"

"No, we've met in the future," she corrected. He gave her a sideways glance, now even more confused. She released his hand and turned away from the pair for a moment, looking carefully at one of the shelves full of various jars. "But that's not important. What do both of you seek from me?"

Nuala cleared her throat and remembered that the more succinct she was with the witch, the faster and easier things became for everyone involved. "We'd like to spend a whole day together, just the two of us," Nuala explained quickly.

Fata Morgana chuckled melodically and whirled around, clasping her hands in front of her mouth coquettishly. "Oh, that's simply adorable! How darling!" she exclaimed. The two looked at one another in confusion and then back to the woman smiling strangely at them. "But why would you need me for that?"

"What I mean is, we want some time away from our brothers," Nuala explained. "Then I can finally have some time with someone just like me."

"And I know I'd learn more about magic here than at home," Loki added emphatically.

"Oh, well, that's nice too, I suppose," the witch replied with a disappointed sigh. She strode across the room to another set of shelves and gazed silently for several moments at a few tins labeled 'Powdered . . .' followed by descriptions of sundry plants and animal organs. "Well, then, if you two want to be sans your own brothers in this realm, then I presume you have in mind precisely where you want me to send them in the meantime?"

"Oh yes, we just want them to go home, that's all," Loki replied hurriedly.

She glanced over her shoulder at him, lifting a brow inquisitively. "That hardly makes sense, Loki. If I send Prince Nuada home then he'll be wandering around the very same palace Nuala calls home, and then what will you do?"

"Oh, right," the young trickster said, lowering his gaze in slight embarrassment. "I meant, they should go to _**my**_ home instead."

"Really? How delightful!" Fata Morgana suddenly exclaimed with an excited clap of both hands. "Your home . . . that will prove to be most exciting for Prince Nuada, won't it?"

"I should hope so," Nuala added. "He's already found a new toy to wrestle with, another whole realm will prove to be most diverting for him."

"Hmmm," the witch muttered as she suddenly began to search through all of the nearest shelves, looking for something specific now. The two waited patiently as the witch sifted through more jars, odd skeletons, a few tins of dehydrated roots, balls of twine, and some individual scrolls. The two glanced at one another in confusion and then back at the woman still rifling through more aged supplies for spells and remnants of other incantations. "Aha! Here you are!" the woman exclaimed happily. She reached through to a space behind one of the collections of scrolls and withdrew a small, wooden box. "This should do nicely." She turned and held the box out towards the two.

"What is this?" Nuala asked, taking the box and quickly opening the lid. Loki continued to watch the woman who seemed completely content with everything about this, perfectly happy. Nuala opened the lid and saw a strange stone inside. She furrowed her brow and looked back up at the witch confusedly. "What will this do?"

"It's a journeystone . . . a very special one, not like the ones your father and mother have used. This stone will take anyone touching it to a specific location, for a specific time, and then return them," she explained. "Simple and very useful."

"That sounds awfully complex to have simply lying around a book case," Loki said, looking down at the stone as well.

"Nothing in my home is simply lying around," she corrected firmly. Nuala looked back up at her and frowned a little. "It's really the only thing I can give you and it's the only thing that will work the way you need it to."

"But how will it know where to send them and how will it know when to bring them back?" Nuala asked with concern.

"My dear, you forget that I have had enough time with all of these odds and ends that they all," here she turned and looked deeply into the eyes of either child in turn, "share my power."

"Then it will actually be you sending them and bringing them back," Loki asked hopefully.

"Essentially," she said with a wink. "Now, they'll both be mesmerized by it at the beginning, that will ensure they take hold of it. What's important is that neither of you touch it. Do you understand?" The two nodded in unison, glancing back at the stone, unsure of the soundness of this plan, but still far too excited by the prospect of time with a kindred spirit to turn back. She smiled kindly again and placed either of her hands on their shoulders. "Now, off you go, both of you."

(*)

"Is there really a stone that can do that?" Leopold asked. Nuada turned and nodded to him. "But that doesn't sound like it would work very well."

"Oh it worked very well," the prince replied. "Too well in some regards."

"That's right, you said all of you ended up somewhere else for a long time," Aine' added quickly.

"I didn't say that," Nuada corrected. Aine' sat more upright and frowned at him. He smirked and helped her onto the floor beside him. "At least not those precise words."

"Then what would be wrong with that plan if the stone worked?" Aidan asked with another bored yawn. "Big deal, you and Thor went back to his home for 24 hours while Loki and the princess stayed here. Even if that lasted a week it isn't an ordeal."

"Oh, but there was something that none of us knew at the time that Fata Morgana knew all too well. In fact, it wasn't even revealed to the rest of us for years following that incident," Nuada replied. The trio perked up and waited patiently for the rest of the explanation. Nuada breathed deeply, thinking back to the strange journey he had taken with the Son of Odin and how obvious the mistake seemed now. "You see, Loki told Fata Morgana that they wanted us sent to his home and none of us knew that he was not really from Asgard." The three stared in amazement at their uncle. He grinned more brightly and leaned down more closer to the three. "He was adopted, and was really a frost giant himself, at least in part. Loki's real home was the frozen wasteland of Jotunheim and that is where Fata Morgana's journeystone was meant to send us."


	5. Chapter 4

Chapter 4:

"Now that your mother and her new friend, I suppose you would call him, had their scheme well under way they hurried back to the courtyard through the very entrance that Nuala had used prior. It would be one of the last times she used it, I'm afraid. Once father knew about it Fata Morgana hid and then created another door less visible to my father and it took Nuala months to find it again," Nuada explained. Aidan and Leopold shifted as Aine' scooted closer to the prince and set both hands on his knee.

"How did you know what transpired in the witch's house if you weren't there that time?" Aine' asked in confusion.

"She told me," he replied quickly. "And the trickster confirmed every word of it."

"You mean, you've spoken to them since then?" Leopold asked, a little more than excited as well as confused. His uncle and his mother knew at least two figures of the Norse pantheon and had never mentioned them before? Did his father know about this?

"Of course we have, but not for some time now. The last time we spoke, the two of them had managed to slay a Trochar-demon on Nornheim and the great rift had not yet taken me away from court," he said. "Not that we haven't known about one another's dealings, we've managed to at least hear from other sources what each of us has been up to and I'll point out that as . . . confrontational as I might have seemed it's been nothing compared to the impetuous brawling of Thor and the thorough misdeeds of Loki. Why I've heard that the two of them took three friends and nearly . . ."

"Finish telling us about this dealing first," Aidan said emphatically. Nuada turned and raised one brow at him reproachfully. He shrank back a little and cleared his throat. "Please."

Nuada grinned and placed a hand tenderly on Aine's back as he thought back to the circumstances surrounding his most interesting excursion from home. "Well, now, Nuala and Loki brought the stone back to the courtyard through the portal and immediately set it down for us to find."

"As I recall it, your highness, and my account would be more accurate than your own given the circumstance, it wasn't immediate," a new, smooth and fetching voice announced from behind the group. Leopold noted that his usually calm and collected uncle seemed completely unsettled by this voice and a look of dreadful familiarity. The children stared in confusion at the sight of a tall, dark, and pale man stepped out from behind one of the bookcases. He was clad in gold and green and seemed to have either shared the prince's taste in clothing or had come to the height of fashion close to the same era as the prince had. The man bowed politely as Nuada stood and turned, instinctively reaching for the hilt of his sword and seeming to stand protectively in front of the children. The man smirked. "It has been far too long, old friend."

"We were never more than acquaintances," Nuada corrected. "You have been here for some time no doubt."

"I was in the area," Loki replied calmly.

"Yes I heard you had found a human companion," Nuada remarked with amusement. "And finally sired nearly attractive offspring."

"Gaea is a lovely child and so is Thorin," Loki replied casually and gestured towards Leopold. "It's a shame our sister is the only one supplying heirs to Bethmoora itself."

"Titania is too young," the prince replied firmly. "And Nuala is not your sister."

"She would disagree, I think. Besides," the trickster said with a laugh suddenly appearing seated beside Aine'. Aine' gasped at the sight of the man so suddenly beside her. "Weren't you telling these lovely children the story of how we met and how you survived nearly a whole three days on Jotunheim? Inaccurately, I might add."

"Inaccurate or otherwise, your highness, it is not wise for you to be here with everything that transpired in Manhattan and then in the years that have followed," Nuada corrected. "Or do you forget that over half of the heroes that first thrashed you live less than an hour's walk away from us?"

"And how close is the demon that rightfully wears the golden crown after snatching it off your post-exiled brow?" Loki quipped back.

Enthralled and overtaken by the presence of two powerful princes, Aine' turned and spoke plainly to the trickster. "Daddy's off dealing with a charm that went awry from Baba Yaga," Aine' replied.

"Is he now? Your father, that is," Loki asked with a broad grin. He placed a hand on the girl's shoulders kindly. "And what is your name, my dear?"

"It's Aine'," she replied.

"I'm her brother, Aidan," the other twin suddenly said, a little overwhelmed as well.

"And I'm Leopold Abraham Sebastian Balor Ludwig Nuada Sapien," the sea elf announced proudly, smiling at the now not so strange stranger. "And by the look of you, you must Thor, God of Thunder."

"Thor is hardly a god of anything," Loki replied with a laugh. "As his brother, I should know."

"Then you're Loki, creator of mischief and discord," Aine' said, trying her best to sound intelligent enough to be recognized by both adults in the room at the moment. The trickster smiled at her and playfully winked causing the child to blush and the prince to stifle a guttural growl.

"Indeed. Perhaps, I think, I should tell the parts of the story that pertain to Nuala and myself and you should tell only what applied to you and my brother," he offered. Nuada sighed heavily and gestured towards him, accepting the offer. "You are most gracious, your highness."

"It's majesty, if you don't mind. I was crowned in your blissful absence from my realm," the elf corrected angrily.

"My sincerest apologies, your majesty," Loki said as genuinely as possible placing his other hand over his chest as he lowered his gaze for a beat. "Now let's see, Nuala and I left Fata Morgana's home and after much deliberation, mostly Nuala still being unsure of the idea given Morgana's propensity for mischief using hidden detail, we placed the stone at the fountain where we had been seated before leaving." Loki looked up at nothing in particular as he tried to recall more of the story he had contemplated during each visit to Midgard. "I cannot at the moment recall why it was the two of you went back to that very place."

"Pity," Nuada said with a smirk as all of the children turned eagerly back to him. "I can."

(*)

Nuala panted heavily as the two raced back through the door and then closed it hurriedly behind them. "Come on," she said as Loki stood next to her, still unsettled by such an unusual mortal woman. "We'll leave it at the fountain. My brother will be able to sense I was there and I think I might've bled a little before actually sitting and I know he'll follow blood."

"That's an unpleasant notion," Loki remarked as the two hurried back to the fountain. After Nuala carefully set the box down on the fountain's edge, she took her new friend by his arm and hurriedly motioned for them to hide behind a nearby statue. "Wait! How will they know to pick up the stone itself?"

"If I know Fata Morgana's magic, and I do, then they'll be compelled to do so if the next spell is intended for them," she whispered in reply. The two watched carefully as the figures of both elder siblings arrived, breathless and confused as to where the other two might've gone off to. "Just be quiet and wait."

"Nuala?" Nuada called in concern as panic began to fill him. He furrowed his brow and groaned, looking around frantically for his sister. He had sensed her wounds and blood loss, he had also sensed the desire to speak with Fata Morgana and knew that she would be invisible to him if she were with the old crone. He looked around in exasperation for a few minutes as the young Asgardian noticed the box that had been left out for them. Nuada noted the find out of the corner of his eye and turned in time to see Thor reach for the oddment. "Don't touch that; it's dark magic!" Nuada shouted. Thor glanced over at the elflings and scoffed.

"You don't know a thing about magic, Svartalf," he snorted proudly, still reaching for the box. "This feels nowhere near as foul and unfriendly as dark magic."

"What would an Asgardian know about our magic?! And I'm not a Svartalf you oaf!" Nuada shouted as he lunged for the box to shove it away. No sooner had the elf prince lunged for the box, than Thor opened the lid and gazed at the glowing stone in astonishment. Without explanation, Thor reached out and touched the stone gently while Nuada shouted angrily for him to back away, reaching out and grasping his wrist tightly. A sudden rush of cold air surrounded them, cutting off the elfling's scream as they were magicked away from the only home and realm Nuada had ever known. Instinctively, Thor grasped Nuada's wrist in return and shoved him behind him, raising both fists to defend what he could only assume was the weaker of the two of them at the present. Nuada growled furiously and leapt onto Thor from behind, knocking him to the ground and taking a fistful of the boy's tunic at his shoulders in either hand. "I told you not to touch it, you great lummox, and now look! You've fallen right into a trap, a witch's trap! That was a journeystone made by Fata Morgana, I'm sure of it."

"Then why didn't you say that instead of that vague arrogance you were spouting before?" Thor growled, rolling to one side and shoving the elf off firmly. The two brushed themselves off, clearly wanting a better opportunity to strike the other, but intent on knowing their location first. Thor frowned and felt his heart sink a little as he realized that this was a realm that he had only heard of in his father's tales of war and ruin. "This isn't good."

"Can you only be intelligent when stating the obvious?" Nuada snorted. "Of course this isn't good! Look around, we're nowhere near Bethmoora. You've landed us at the far end of the earth where the sun never shines and snow forever falls!"

Thor stood perfectly still and turned his head toward Nuada, a somber and almost petrified expression. Nuada's gaze softened into concern and then a measure of fear as well. If the Asgardian was afraid, then there was truly cause for alarm. "This isn't Midgard," Thor corrected. A loud, thunderous roar reverberated in the distance and the two could now see massive walls of ice and stone that were clearly not native to any part of Earth. Nuada's heart began to race and he was sure that his eyes had grown as white as his skin, a sign in elves of sheer dread. Thor frowned and looked into the distance. "This is Jotunheim."


End file.
